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A dozen years and 175,000 miles ago I took delivery of my 2003 Expedition XLT 4WD with the 2-valve 5.4L Triton and 3.73 gears and LSD. Sold my beloved Toyota Tacoma to buy this family truckster just after the birth of the first of our two kids. I wanted an F-150, but was talked into the Expy by my wife. It was my first American vehicle purchase, and I'm not going to lie - I was scared to death. I mean, 100K warranty scared to death. Obviously the story ends (or continues) rather well, or I would not be here saying that I still own this beast. After working out the initial bugs (clutch-packs, rear blend door motor gears, and various other small TSBs) I'm glad to say that ownership of this SUV has been as pleasant as any of the Hondas or Toyotas that I previously owned.
The extended warranty paid for itself on the 2nd set of clutch packs, and for the last 125K miles the vehicle has been trouble free. It has done everything I've ever asked of it, hauled more than I thought I could ever squeeze into it, driven into places it should not have gone (and made it back out), and a couple times towed way more than it ever should have. It has been safe, accident-free, ultra-reliable and extremely comfortable. The ride is straight and solid - I would drive it across the country right now without hesitation.
It has been maintained meticulously, but has not been expensive to own. Everything on this SUV still works as it should as if it were new. The only unusual replacement part has been the cracked upper control arms at 125K. For its 12th birthday it received its 2nd replacement serpentine belt and a clean bill of health at the local Ford dealer. While I do have F150 envy as I see the new aluminum-clad trucks rolling around with V8's providing >120 more horsepower than I have under the hood, I still enjoy driving my old reliable for just the cost of gas, $250/year in insurance, and a $75 annual registration fee.
So here's to the dozen year mark for my Expedition - it made an American vehicle owner out of me. May she keep rolling for years to come, even if one day it's as my back-up vehicle when I finally get that F-150.
Just don't wander over to the new F-150 forum to read about how anything built before 2011 with less than 365HP is incapable of getting even a couple bags of trash to the dump.
Heck, even the base normally-aspirated V-6 these days has more HP and torque than what was the top-of-the-line Triton V8 in the early 2000's.
The Ford trucks and SUVs have come a long way since then, but so have the price tags!
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
